This invention relates to a mailing system for conveying items from a sender to a recipient and in particular to the provision of means on the items to enable automatic handling of the items.
Generally when items are sent by mail, mailing information is applied to the exterior of the item. Such mailing information usually comprises a destination address and a postage stamp or a franking impression to indicate that a postage charge for the item has been paid and/or accounted for. In order to handle the mail and to check that the correct postage charge has been paid or accounted for, the postal authority or other carrier has to visually read the mailing information. The mail item needs to be correctly orientated to enable reading of the mailing information.
For special classes of mail, for example registered mail and recorded delivery mail, it is known to apply a bar code, identifying a specific mail item, to the item to enable tracking of the item to be effected during its carriage from the receiving office of the postal authority to the destination address.